A communication system can be seen as a facility that enables communications between two or more entities such as a communication device, e.g. mobile stations (MS) or user equipment (UE), and/or other network elements or nodes, e.g. Node B or base transceiver station (BTS), associated with the communication system. A communication system typically operates in accordance with a given standard or specification which sets out what the various entities associated with the communication system are permitted to do and how that should be achieved.
Wireless communication systems include various cellular or otherwise mobile communication systems using radio frequencies for sending voice or data between stations, for example between a communication device and a transceiver network element. Examples of wireless communication systems may comprise public land mobile network (PLMN), such as global system for mobile communication (GSM), the general packet radio service (GPRS), the universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) or WiFi.
A mobile communication network may logically be divided into a radio access network (RAN) and a core network (CN). The core network entities typically include various control entities and gateways for enabling communication via a number of radio access networks and also for interfacing a single communication system with one or more communication systems, such as with other wireless systems, such as a wireless Internet Protocol (IP) network, and/or fixed line communication systems, such as a public switched telephone network (PSTN). Examples of radio access networks may comprise the UMTS terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN) and the GSM/EDGE radio access network (GERAN).
A user equipment or mobile station may be provided with access to applications supported by the core network via the radio access network, but potentially also via other networks. The core network may provide functionality to authenticate a user or other support the security of communication between an user equipment and an application. This functionality may be provided for example by a generic bootstrapping architecture.
A requirement of some networks is the provision of lawful interception capabilities. Since communication technology advances, the lawful interception becomes also relevant in general service context. IP based communication services e.g. video or voice are also relevant from lawful interception perspective. In lawful interception, communication data on the network is intercepted and provided to a lawful authority. The lawful authority can analyse the data with regards to any lawful issues that may arise.